Movie Mondays: Desk Set

I always enjoy a movie that peeks into the social workings of midcentury American office life. This particular movie, starring Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, is a real gem in the slice-of-history respect. And you’ve really gotta love a Hepburn/Tracy combo. Their chemistry is unforgettable.

The women working in the reference department, who have spent years and years filing random information into their pretty little heads, are worried about their job security when Spencer Tracy’s character, a mechanical-brain engineer (aka: computer technician!) is brought in to measure their department’s facilities.

And that’s not all Katherine Hepburn’s character is worried about. She’s been in a six year relationship with a company executive. And is just waiting for him to pop the question.

When things start to fall into place in her personal life, everything at work is falling apart. And nobody but the girls seem to care. The company Christmas party comes just in time to relieve them of their worries, until everything culminates and things get out of Miss Hepburn’s control.

Desk Set is a charming movie jam packed with flirtatious banter that is sure to entertain. The storyline is a fun look at office life and new technology of the 1950s, as well as an expose on the life of a strong-willed working woman from the turn of the century. I think you’ll like this romantic comedy!

so here’s the thing, I tested this page out on two different browsers. It loaded after the last written part when I opened it up which is why I couldn’t find the comments. I didn’t even see the last photos. I had to type in your search for “Desk set” to find the entry and it had the comment link right there so that’s how I got to see the second half of this entry. I tested it out again on your Write or Wrong entry and it wouldn’t load past halfway through the 4th photo. Maybe something’s wrong with my computer, but just letting you know since you said you were still trying to work through some kinks. Granted you got comments on your page otherwise, it seems. I just thought all that was really odd.
I’m going to put this movie now up on my que.

I’ve always loved the chemistry between Hepburn and Tracey in this film. Years ago I used to work with the husband of Sue Randall who played Ruthie in the film. Sadly, he told me she died of cancer at the young age of 49…but in this film she is so young and adorable. I have a VHS copy of this film somewhere, that I have to dig out and watch again. It amazes me how technology has changed so much since this film was made.

Unpopular opinion- In many ways I like this Spencer/Tracy Rom-Com more than their more famous Woman of the Year or Adam’s Ribs. Probably precisely because, while commentary on women is still there, its not an out-and-out battle of the sexes. Just two people who recognize each other are intelligent and interesting.

Plus, the office wackiness is hilarious and the technology themes are surprisingly rather relevant still.